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Fate of Carbon‐14‐Labeled Cell Walls in Silage Fermentation 1
Author(s) -
Goering H. K.,
Smith L. W.,
Laksmanan S.,
Gordon C. H.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1970.00021962006200040032x
Subject(s) - silage , fermentation , hay , carbon dioxide , chemistry , acetic acid , carbon fibers , hydrolysis , lactic acid , food science , carbon 14 , cell wall , substrate (aquarium) , agronomy , rumen , botany , biochemistry , bacteria , biology , organic chemistry , materials science , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , genetics , composite number , composite material
Uniformly carbon‐14 labeled wheat plant cell walls (CW‐UL 14 C) were combined with ground orchardgrass hay substrate and ensiled in order to determine the contribution of cell walls to silage fermentation end‐products. Eight samples in half‐pint jars were fermented for either 49, 76, 141, 188, 237, 285, 429, or 504 hours. Carbon‐14 activity was measured in water solubles, organic acids, and carbon dioxide. Substantial activity was found in lactic and acetic acid, both of which increased at essentially the same rate initially. Eight percent of the labeled cell wall was hydrolyzed, apparently through bacterial mechanisms. Eighty percent was found in the acids and 4.5% in carbon dioxide. The usefulness of this technique for studying various ramifications of silage fermentation is demonstrated.